Project Management Support (Research and Administrative) Associate

Job categories Project Management

Vacancy code VA/2024/B5002/28932

Department/office GPO, GVA, Water, Environment & Climate (WEC)

Duty station Bonn, Germany

Contract type Local ICA Support

Contract level LICA-6

Duration Open ended contract subject to availability of funds and satisfactory performance

Application period 23-Sep-2024 to 08-Oct-2024

Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement.

Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.

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Background Information - Job-specific

The Water, Environment and Climate Portfolio

UNOPS WEC supports the design and management of multi-stakeholder initiatives by providing services in financial and grant management, procurement, human resources, and project management. The Portfolio has supported projects in the areas of water resource management, climate change adaptation, mitigation and transparency, energy access and distribution and environmental conservation under the Paris Agreement. The WEC has also supported operations and financial management services, in Vienna, the rest of the ECR region and beyond. The main partners include UN agencies, bilateral donors (Nordic countries, Germany and Italy), or the Green Climate Fund.

Initiative for Climate Action Transparency

The Initiative for Climate Action Transparency (ICAT) was established in 2015 at the COP that adopted the Paris Agreement to support implementation of the Agreement’s Enhanced Transparency Framework. The Initiative works with over 50 developing countries ranging from large countries, like Nigeria, to small islands, such as Antigua & Barbuda.

ICAT provides countries with tailored support and practical tools and methodologies to build robust transparency frameworks needed for effective climate action in sync with national development priorities. The projects ICAT supports relate to: building or enhancing transparency frameworks for mitigation; building a monitoring and evaluation approach for adaptation; building or enhancing frameworks to track progress in implementing nationally determined contributions; assessing the impacts of climate policies; estimating or enhancing projections of greenhouse gases; integrating and/or aggregating climate actions at the subnational level and by non-State actors; building a tracking system for just transition processes; establishing or enhancing a climate data system; and putting in place a framework to track climate finance.
To support these areas, ICAT offers a suite of practical, open-source tools and methodologies to provide effective support to the transparency efforts of countries around the world.

ICAT is an unincorporated multi-stakeholder partnership steered by the Donor Steering Committee (DSC), conformed by its donors, Austria; Canada; Germany; Italy; the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF); and Climate Works Foundation (CWF), and includes the UNFCCC Secretariat as the dedicated UN body with a climate change policy mandate, and UNOPS as an ex-officio member. The Initiative is managed by UNOPS on behalf of the DSC. Within UNOPS, the ICAT Secretariat manages ICAT day-to-day activities, coordinating and guiding the work of the implementing partners.

Under the overall guidance and supervision of the ICAT Director, the incumbent will be responsible for performing a variety of administrative functions, providing support to the Director and the ICAT team, including the management of the ICAT office in Bonn, and for conducting background research on aspects related to the operations of ICAT and potential partnerships, ensuring high quality and accuracy of work.

** This is a Local ICA contract, therefore every EU nationality is eligible and encouraged to apply. However, please note that, as this is a Local position, regretfully, relocation support will not be provided to the selected candidate.

*** FEMALE CANDIDATES ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY .

Functional Responsibilities

Administrative and general support ...

Administrative and general support
Research support
Knowledge Building and Knowledge Sharing

1. Administrative and general support

Supports scheduling of and preparation for the Director’s appointments and prepares briefing and background material and ensures this is shared with the Director in due time before the meetings;
Provides administrative and logistic support to conferences, workshops, and other events organized by ICAT and for meetings and retreats of the ICAT team by scheduling and organizing meetings (also video- or tele-conferences), and for receiving visitors;
Coordinates with the Bonn premise management and ICT support on common services requests including those relating to office space, office access, cleaning, procurement of office supplies and petty cash management;
Establishes and maintains efficient working relationship with stakeholders (e.g. UNOPS WEC team, DSC, AC, Implementing Partners) and external partners (e.g. UNFCCC secretariat, NDC-Partnership, other UN agencies);
Assists with the drafting of correspondence, including to partners and high level officials as well as other responses to external requests;
Provides accurate and timely information on processes and pending issues to the supervisor;
Maintains the records on administrative, financial and logistical activities of the Bonn personnel/office;
Provides administrative and logistical support for missions, events and travel including organization of tickets, hotel bookings, transfers, visa facilitation, DSA payments, etc. in coordination with ICAT Operations Associate;
Functions as back-up to the ICAT Operations Associate when necessary.

2. Research support

Follows relevant policy developments, in particular decisions adopted under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and related announcements, and alerts the team of new developments;
Keeps abreast of upcoming events in the area of Climate Change, such as the UNFCCC calendar and calendars of other relevant entities, and alerts the team as necessary;
Researches and retrieves information and statistical data from internal and external sources;
Prepares statistical charts, tables and reports, extracting data from various sources;
Prepares background research on specific topics related to ICAT activities and partnerships;
Prepares background notes and presentations for meetings, visits and conference calls and keeping track of formal documents and policy decisions of relevance to ICAT;
Provides substantive input to project documents and documents prepared for the ICAT Donor Steering Committee (DSC), the Advisory Committee (AC) and the Initiative Coordination Team (ICT);
Conducts fact checks on information received from other sources, including the implementing partners of ICAT;
Follows up on deadlines, commitments made, actions taken and coordinates collection and submission of the reports to the supervisor.

3. Knowledge building and Knowledge sharing

Supports meetings (online and in person), prepares draft minutes for these meetings and takes notes and keep records of various types of meetings;
Supports the organization and delivery of webinars, training and learning initiatives on project related topics, and side events and bilateral meetings, in particular during UNFCCC conferences;
Supports preparation of outreach material, both online and for print, including drafting, formatting and graphics support;
Provides sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice by synthesizing of lessons learnt and dissemination of best practices;
Contributes feedback, ideas, and internal knowledge about processes and best practices to the team and utilizes them productively;
Supports collection, reviewing and publishing on ICAT Website of ICAT project deliverables;
Supports the management of an ICAT contact database in collaboration with colleagues from the team; and
Maintains ICAT Secretariat’s documentation including records and files, ensuring safekeeping of confidential materials.

Impact of Results

The effective and successful achievement of results by the Project Management Support (Research and Administrative) Associate directly affects the overall efficiency of the team’s provision of services, impacting the office’s capacity to efficiently and effectively service the operational needs of the Initiative. Timely and accountable delivery of services, ensures client satisfaction and promotes the image and credibility of the team and office as an effective service provider in project services and management. This enhances UNOPS’ competitive position as a partner of choice in sustainable development and project services.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education: Completion of secondary school is requi...

Competencies

Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and enc...

Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organizational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles.

Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).

Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.

Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements.

Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.

Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: Local Individual Contractor Contract level: ICS 6/LICA ...

Additional Information

Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. Applic...

Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.
UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce.
Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions

For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post.
For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses ( they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.
All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.

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APPLICATION TIPS

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TOGETHER, WE BUILD THE FUTURE

UNOPS – an operational arm of the United Nations – supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by successfully implementing its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world.

Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development.

We are proud of our people. The UNOPS family brings together approximately 160 nationalities, represented by over 5,000 UNOPS personnel as well as some 7,800 personnel recruited on behalf on our partners. Spread across 80 countries, our workforce is rich in diversity and culture – with inclusion at its core.

We understand the importance of balancing professional and personal demands and offer several flexible working options.

Explore what we offer here.